Rev. Scott Campbell recognized with two awards for social justice work

December 02, 2011

A long time member of the New England Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) and the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), the Rev. Scott Campbell, received two national awards at "Sing a New Song," a recent national gathering of progressive United Methodists in Ohio. Over 700 members of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, the Reconciling Ministry Network, and Affirmation were present as Scott received the Ball Award from MFSA and the Cup of Justice Award from RMN.

The award from the Methodist Federation for Social Action was given for leadership in the social justice movement over a number of years. The Lee and Mae Ball Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) to an individual or organization who emulates Lee and Mae’s record of faithful and effective work for social justice. Lee and Mae were instrumental to MFSA through the 1960’s and early 1970’s, and were never content to remain within the walls of the church, because they knew we will only find Jesus in the company of the poor and oppressed of our world. Many of those who had little use for the institutional church saw in Lee Ball a deeply religious person and a model of what a Christian should be. Since 1975, MFSA has given the Lee and Mae Ball Award in their memory.

The award from the Reconciling Ministries Network, the organization in the United Methodist Church leading the movement for full inclusion of all persons in the life of the church, was presented in recognition of Scott’s work in the recent trial of the Rev. Amy DeLong. The Cup of Justice Award of the Reconciling Ministries Network is presented to an individual or an organization for “taking bold action to invoke justice where injustice, oppression and exclusion existed.”

Scott particularly thanks the people of Harvard-Epworth for their incredible support of the work in which he has been involved. The church has generously made time available, especially in the last year of trial preparations, for him to be present in Wisconsin with the trial team. A special word of thanks is in order to Lisa Fagerstrom for the extra responsibilities she has taken on during times when Scott was away. These awards are a recognition of the entire Harvard-Epworth community.